Berkley High School

Berkley High School is a public high school in Berkley, Michigan. Berkley High's colors are maroon and blue and the school's mascot is a bear. Berkley is well known for its college prep courses, high standardized test scores, and teachers and administrators. BHS offers 20+ Advanced Placement courses at its campus. Additional Advanced Placement courses and electives are available to students who elect to attend the Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts (CASA), an afternoon consortium school run jointly by Berkley and six neighboring school districts, or the Oakland Schools Technical Campus (OSTC), a vocational education center run by Oakland Schools. Their newspaper is The Spectator, which is a member of the High School National Ad Network. Berkley's graduation ceremony is held annually at Meadow Brook Amphitheatre. The principal is Andrew Meloche and the assistant principals are Meredith Julius & Evelyn Coleman. Originally established in 1922, the first Berkley High building was housed within Berkley Elementary, across the street from the present building. It was demolished in 1980. The current BHS campus opened in 1948 with 8 classrooms, and has expanded several times since. In 1949 and 1955 more wings were constructed. Overcrowding reached a crisis in 1957 and the district proposed replacing the high school with a new building at the southwest corner of Greenfield Road and Catalpa. The high school's original architect drew up new plans. When voters in the district rejected this plan, the district requested bond issues to build extensive additions to the school. Voters approved of an addition but rejected a pool and auditorium. 1961 saw the opening of this third wing, which contained 18 new classrooms, media center, cafeteria and two music rooms. In 1975 the Loren Disbrow Athletic Complex was added which included a new larger gym which serves as the Bears' basketball arena. In 1987 the 800-seat Berkley Auditorium was opened as a hub for the schools many performing arts. 2003 brought the addition of the collaborative center which serves as a multi-purpose space. A major renovation occurred in 2016 and 2017 where the school was updated with new technology and building systems and a new main office vestibule. Berkley High School has been accredited by the Michigan North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement since the 1928–29 school year. As of the 2012–13 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,250 students and 74.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 18.1. Berkley High School was named to Newsweek's 2013 list of 2,000 Best High Schools in the nation—ranked 22nd in Michigan. This ranking highlights the schools that have proven to be the most effective in turning out college-ready graduates. BHS has been on the Newsweek Best High Schools list since 2008. The high school scored above state averages in all MME/ACT categories in 2013. Performing arts Berkley High School is home to a variety of musical ensembles. The wind ensembles are made up of the BHS Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and Jazz Band. Marching Band is only the first semester, and Symphonic Band takes its place second semester. Jazz band is also available for students. Jon Thomann became the band director in 2019. BHS has three string orchestras, Sinfonia, Symphony Orchestra and Concert Orchestra, all lasting the whole year. The Orchestra program is under the direction of Ben Moy. In January 2009 and again in 2013, the Symphony Orchestra took first place at the Presidential Inaugural (Heritage Festival). BHS also has four choirs: Concert Choir, Encore!, Belle Tones, and A Cappella. Encore!, Belle Tones, and A Cappella are audition only. Julie Anne Smith directs A Cappella and Belle Tones. Sarah Noble directs Encore! and Concert Choir. All students from these organizations are able to collaborate through BHS' Musical National Honor Society, known as Tri-M. In May 2007, the Berkley High School A Cappella choir was invited to New York City where they performed Beethoven's Mass in C Major in New York City's Carnegie Hall. In May 2013, the Berkley High School Symphony Orchestra and A Cappella Choir performed the American premiere of "My Name is Anne Frank" a cantata. In addition to the musical ensembles, BHS also has a drama program that is directed by John Hopkins. Sports Berkley's athletic teams currently compete in the Oakland Activities Association (OAA) with the exception of the rugby teams (club) and the junior varsity hockey team (Southeast Michigan Prep Hockey League). Matthew Rawlik became the athletic coordinator in 2024. Although the school nickname is "The Bears," the boys' and girls' swimming and diving teams are known as the "Bearracudas" or "Cudas." Their basketball court is known as the "Bear's Den." The Berkley football team, soccer teams, and track & field teams compete at Hurley Field, located less than a half-mile from the high school at Anderson Middle School. The field was renovated during the spring of 2002 and reopened with many new facilities at the beginning of the 2002–2003 school year. The field was also updated in 2010 with a new track and in 2012 with a new turf field. The field is also used for many other high school tournaments, community sporting events, and semi-pro soccer leagues. Next to Hurley Field is Pop Lewis Field, where the high school baseball games are held along with other community baseball leagues. The softball teams play at the two neighboring fields located south of Pop Lewis field. The tennis courts are also next to Hurley Field. Berkley Varsity Hockey and JV/Prep Hockey competed at the Berkley Ice Arena, which is also adjacent to Hurley Field and tennis courts, before it closed in 2016 due to a coolant leak; the hockey teams have since played the rest of the 2016–17 season at Joe Louis Arena. In the 2017–18 season, the varsity hockey team played out of Oak Park, and JV hockey played out of Royal Oak. Since the 2019–20 season, the hockey team has merged with Royal Oak and other surrounding area schools named "M1 Griffins Unified" and competes out of Royal Oak's John Lindell Ice Arena. The cross-country team competes at Catalpa Oaks County Park in Southfield and Memorial Park in Royal Oak. The golf team competes at Detroit Golf Club and won their league with an undefeated record in 2009. The bowling team competes at Hartfield Lanes. The lacrosse team is known as M1 and is merged with Royal Oak athletics. The rest of the teams compete within the school building or outside (rugby) on other school grounds. The BHS boys rugby team was the state champion in 2013 after an undefeated season, and the girls rugby team was state runner-up that year as well. FIRST Robotics Competition FRC Team 247, known as "Da Bears," is the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team representing Berkley High School in Berkley, Michigan. Founded in 1999, the team competes in the FRC, an international high school robotics program that challenges students to design, build, and program robots for themed annual competitions. Team 247 has been a continuous participant in the Michigan FRC district since its inception and is recognized for both competitive success and community involvement. History Team 247 was founded in 1999 as one of the early FRC teams in Michigan. Over its history, Da Bears have developed a reputation for consistent performance and a strong mentorship culture. Based at Berkley High School, the team collaborates with local industry partners, mentors, and alumni to promote STEM education throughout the region. Guided by their motto, "Building dreams and engineering futures," the team emphasizes creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning both on and off the field. Awards and Achievements Since its founding, Da Bears have earned a total of 39 official FIRST Robotics Competition awards, including 7 Blue Banners (event wins) and 1 Einstein appearance at the World Championship level. Team Awards Sustainability Award – 6 Engineering Inspiration Award – 2 Impact Award – 1 Rookie All Star Award – 1 Imagery Award – 1 Impact Finalist – 1 Robot Awards Creativity Award – 2 Innovation in Control Award – 2 Quality Award – 1 Engineering Excellence Award – 1 Event Performance Winner – 6 Finalist – 6 Other Awards Judges’ Award – 4 Website Award – 3 Safety Award – 1 Spirit Award – 1 Visualization Award – 1 Community and Outreach Beyond competition, Team 247 engages in outreach efforts to promote STEM learning and community engagement. The team mentors local FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Tech Challenge teams, and participates in district-wide STEM outreach initiatives. See also FIRST Robotics Competition Notable alumni Curtis Armstrong, (born 1953), Class of 1972, actor, best known for his role as "Booger" in the 1984 hit comedy movie Revenge of the Nerds Andy Bobrow, television comedy writer and producer, Community, Malcolm in the Middle, The Last Man on Earth. Bill Bonds, Detroit TV anchorman Marshall Crenshaw, (born 1953), Class of 1971, singer-songwriter Electric Six, band, original members from BHS Bruce Flowers, All-American high school basketball player, followed Notre Dame college career with brief NBA season with Cleveland. Robert Gosselin, (born 1951), former member of the Michigan House of Representatives. Steven Horwitz, (1964–2021), Class of 1981, economist and author Jill Jack, (born 1963), Class of 1981, singer-songwriter Rachel Jacobs, CEO of tech company, killed in 2015 train accident Don Kirkwood, (born 1949), former Major League Baseball player Andy Levin, (born 1960), United States Congressman Andy Meisner, (born 1973), Class of 1991, treasurer of Oakland County Aric Morris, (born 1977), football player, followed Michigan State University by playing for the NFL's Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots. Dick Radatz, (1937–2005), All-Star relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and other teams from 1962 to 1969 Robert Wittenberg, (born 1980), member, Michigan House of Representatives Gary Yourofsky, (born 1970), militant animal rights activist References External links Official team website The Blue Alliance – Team 247 (Da Bears) FIRST Robotics Competition – Official Website External links Berkley High